Fenerbahce 3-2 Liverpool: Dirk Kuyt stuns former club as Iraola's side throw away two leads in Istanbul
Liverpool's 100% Champions League record is over after Andoni Iraola's side twice surrendered the lead to lose 3-2 at Fenerbahce, with both advantages lasting just four minutes.
Vedat Muriqi's 79th-minute header completed the comeback at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. The substitute's first Champions League goal handed interim coach Dirk Kuyt victory over the club he represented across six seasons during his playing career.
It was Fenerbahce's first win of the campaign, only weeks after a 6-0 thrashing at Aston Villa. The result also ended a 10-game winless run in the competition for the Turkish side, who are back in the Champions League proper for the first time since 2008-09. Kuyt later hailed "another miracle in Istanbul".
Trey Nyoni's moment wasted
Liverpool started brightly, and Trey Nyoni opened the scoring in the 25th minute. His deflected volley from a loose ball beat Ederson as the teenager recorded his first senior goal. In the process, the 19-year-old became the club's second-youngest scorer in the competition after Trent Alexander-Arnold.
"I’m proud, as always. I know my family back home are proud," Nyoni reflected.
"It has been a long time coming but obviously happy to score and get my first goal for Liverpool. It’s a day that I’ll never forget. Even though we lost, it’s a day I’ll never forget.
Irfan Can Kahveci hit the bar almost immediately, and Fenerbahce were level on 29 minutes when Mason Greenwood's free-kick flicked off Jeremy Jacquet and wrongfooted Alisson.
Liverpool undone by set-pieces during late collapse
Iraola had made five changes after Sunday's defeat to Arsenal, resting Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, with Bradley Barcola used as a makeshift striker. The trio came on in a triple change and it paid off at once: Isak headed in Gakpo's cross with his first touch on 69 minutes, his first Champions League goal for the club.
But Liverpool fell apart again. Alisson was caught in no-man's land from a corner, Gakpo could only divert the ball on, and Archie Brown, left unmarked by Dominik Szoboszlai, tapped in at the back post.
According to Opta, it was only the second time two English players have scored against an English side in the Champions League, after Frank Lampard and Wayne Bridge for Chelsea against Arsenal in 2004.
Six minutes later, with Alisson rooted to his line and three Liverpool players failing to deal with a looping cross, Muriqi nodded into the corner. It was Liverpool's first Champions League defeat under Iraola, four games into the eight-match league phase, and extends a difficult run in Turkey after two losses to Galatasaray last season.